When is enforcing abstinence acceptable?

Drug addiction is a serious problem that leads to social and health problems of the worse kind – crime and death. Why then does drug rehabilitation usually take a gentle and voluntary approach? We know that prison does not work because drugs are still available, but are there alternatives?

A case recently came to court in which a father held his son captive for four days to force him to overcome his addiction.

John Griffiths was addicted to heroin and had come close to overdosing. The police had already raided his home in Tiverton twice in November 2012 and discovered £3,000-worth of the drug. He was due to stand trial for drug offences in June 2013 when his father decided to take drastic action.

His father locked him up in a caravan so that he would go ‘cold turkey’. Four days without access to any drugs helped to rid much of the heroin from his system. His father then took him to a private drug clinic where he was given an implant that has apparently cured his addiction to heroin.

John was still found guilty of possession of heroin and given a four-month jail sentence; however, the sentence was suspended after his probation officer said that he believed him to have been drug-free for seven months.

John turned to drugs after his partner committed suicide. He told his probation officer that he needs counselling to help him to overcome the grief of her death.

The implant used was a chemical called naltrexone, which blocks the effects of heroin. Recorder Mr Maitland said: “If you were taking as much heroin as you say you were, I doubt if you could have survived. I accept you have managed to break your habit with the support of your family.”